John,

Happy Fourth of July to you, your family and all those you are celebrating with today.

Today is a celebration of the promise of our nation: the promise of independence, of democracy and of self-determination. And that is not enough.

As we celebrate — may we remember that celebration is only the start. Now, more than ever, we must recommit ourselves to protecting the freedoms that have been so preciously won over generations. And fighting for new freedoms.

Freedom from poverty.
Freedom to vote in fair elections.
Freedom to control your own body.
Freedom of opportunity not just to survive, but to thrive.

John, today I’m asking you to join me as we commit to fight for freedom for all.

There have always been people who have sought to hoard power for themselves and strip others of their rights. Our founders wrote our Constitution with a grandiose and seductive ideal of freedom — and yet embedded in it the hypocrisy of slavery and omission of women.

What made our freedoms real, what made the Voting Rights Act take effect, what forced desegregation, were the people who demanded more. They held elected officials accountable and replaced those who refused to do right. Regular men and women, young and old, who saw progress as possible in the face of cruel obstinacy.

As we celebrate, we must remember that our freedoms once again rely on everyday people who believe in progress and elect leaders who share their values.

This is a fight that we can win, John, but it will not be easy. Today, let us celebrate the progress we have made and recognize the immense work that remains in front of us.

And together, we will write the next chapter of American progress.

Happy Fourth,

Stacey

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